Self-Service Kiosk Best Practices: Accessibility and Communication

This is part two in a series about best practices for self-service kiosks. Read part one, Kiosk Visibility and Placement, here.  

Today’s consumers prefer to use self-service kiosks over interacting with employees. But when enterprises deploy self-service kiosks in their brick-and-mortar environments, they often overlook the vital step of informing customers about the new service option.

To ensure that customers are aware of the new self-service kiosks, there are several best practices around communication, signage, and accessibility that enterprises should consider. 

1. Communication

Communicate with the customer

In part one, we discussed how to leverage placement and visibility to draw attention to your self-service kiosks. However, one of the best ways to increase awareness and usage of kiosks is to simply communicate with your customers. 

Leverage e-newsletters and in-store flyers to let shoppers know about the new kiosks. Help customers understand the value that the kiosks will bring to their shopping experience. Self-service kiosks can help shoppers save time, find the items they need faster, and provide a range of other services. It’s your job to convey these benefits to the customer. 

Communicate with staff

Employees are an important asset in helping spread awareness and usage of your self-service kiosks. For the first few weeks of the deployment, station an associate near the kiosks to help guide customers on how to use them. While the user experience of your kiosks should be self-explanatory, it can help convince customers to try the kiosks who otherwise might not have. 

However, before your associates can help customers use the kiosk solution, they first have to become experts themselves. Train staff members on how to use the kiosks, how to troubleshoot common issues, and who to call for assistance if a kiosk is having technical problems. 

2. Signage

Signs can be an effective way to guide customers toward your self-service kiosks. However, when used incorrectly, they can be confusing, obstructive, and counterproductive to helping your customers. 

When adding signage to your kiosks, first consider whether this information should take the form of a sign, or whether it should be within the app itself. For example, “Place your ID in the tray” is important information, but it doesn’t require physical signage. Rather, this instruction should be part of the user experience of the app. 

When signs are necessary, there are a few best practices to follow. 

Large and easy-to-read signs are preferable. However, make sure they’re on-brand. It shouldn’t be up to store associates to create signs for your self-service kiosks. Rather, the signs should be designed in advanced in a way that they are high-quality and durable. 

Try not to place signs on the kiosk itself. These can get in the way of user interactions and will likely get dirty or fall off. Instead, place signs on the wall behind a kiosk or on a display designed specifically for the kiosk. 

3. Accessibility for self-service kiosks

Accessibility is not only an important factor to consider for your customer experience, but it may also be a legal requirement in your buildings. The Americans with Disabilities Act outlines a number of regulations that might apply to your self-service kiosks, including height, distance from the wall, and the mounting option used. 

In addition to the kiosk and mount used, enterprises should also make sure their app is accessible to those with visual or hearing impairments. This means that your app should ideally be operable with little or no color perception, hearing, and manual dexterity.

Check back soon for part three of this series, where we’ll cover app implementation, KPIs, and deployment timelines. 

Want a simplified and printable version of the full guide to hand out to your employees? Download the Interactive Kiosk Best Practices Guide: